Shadow Proves the Sunshine
by miastellaluna
Summary: What can you know of light without the darkness, and what can you know of darkness without the light? As they are all about to discover, one cannot exist without the other. [Main pairings: Kylo Ren/Rey with some minor Cap. Phasma/Poe D.]
1. Chapter 1: The Collapse of It All

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 **Chapter One: The Collapse of It All**

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The electric blue glow of Luke's lightsaber illuminated her delicate features set in grim lines, and in that moment, Kylo Ren knew for certain that he wanted her.

He could feel the life leaving his body, his Force signature flickering an angry crimson, and he beat at his abdomen in an attempt to clot the profusely bleeding wound. He wanted nothing more than to subdue her and make her his, control her fiery will that burned with the light of a thousand suns; he wanted her to shine for only him, but mostly, he wanted her to want him. He coveted her more than he ever coveted anything in his entire life, and that made him feel vulnerable. He shook his head to clear it of the distracting thoughts, igniting his temperamental blade, the bright red making his tall figure all the more menacing. He charged at her then, angry with himself for letting it come to this, for letting his desire make him weak.

Rey hesitated for a split second, her hands trembling on the cool metal hilt, but brought up her saber to block his assault. He slashed at her with such an intensity that it was hard for her just to keep up, twirling his lightsaber expertly left and then right. The base of her skull and her back throbbed from where her body made contact with the tree trunk, but the cold, bitter wind gave her shocks of strength. She could not be defeated here. She had to survive: for Finn, for Chewie…for herself. She was good at survival; it was all she knew. She let that notion urge her on.

Their lightsabers zapped and sparked as they connected over and over, but soon it become apparent to Rey that Kylo was too powerful to fight like this, even wounded badly as he was. Her right leg slipped a little, and she gasped, frightened. The frozen air gushed upwards from the jagged chasm behind her, chilling her veins. Kylo locked blades with her with a sense of finality, blue and red clashing defiantly in the night. He slowly began to apply pressure, and her body tilted backwards towards the void.

The sight of her there on the precipice, terrified and vulnerable, made Kylo's heart clench painfully in his chest. He realized suddenly that he did not want to kill her. He did not want to be the one responsible for snuffing out her incredible potential.

Unbidden, words spilled from his traitorous mouth, coated in desperation, "You are strong with the Force, Rey, but untrained. Surrender now, and I will not harm you. Let me teach you, and you may live."

 ** _'Come to me. Be mine_.'** His unspoken words came to Rey like a sensual caress across her mind, and she shivered, for once not from the cold.

How had he done that, she wondered in awe, her petite mouth falling open. Suddenly, she came to an epiphany. She could use it, too.

"The Force," she breathed out, grateful for her strange connection to this unknown concept more than anything in this instance.

She closed her eyes, and Kylo, to his dismay, let her. He was hopelessly enchanted by how beautiful she looked against the backdrop of the falling snow. A moment passed, and Rey opened her eyes again, but Kylo noticed a boldness in them that wasn't there before. He felt her aura flaring to life with his connection to the Force, and he could do nothing but stumble backwards when she pushed him away from her with newly untapped, raw power. She swiped at him with her blue blade, determination hardening her jaw.

He took up the defensive, blocking her assault deftly with his lightsaber, but his wound throbbed suddenly, faltering his concentration. Rey took advantage of his brief moment of weakness, and slashed at his arm. He hissed in pain, backing away from her quickly like a wounded animal.

Rey's teeth clamped down hard on her bottom lip, the copper of her blood filling her mouth and lending her clarity. His handsome face twisted in pain made her feel like the villain. Hurting him brought her no joy. She should hate him for gravely wounding Finn, one of her only friends. She should loathe him for all that he's done, but especially for murdering Han Solo, the only father figure she ever knew, however brief. But for some unfathomable reason, the memory of Han's hand resting tenderly against Kylo's cheek flashed before her. Ben, he'd called him, his son. The recollection of Kylo Ren's true name made her throat tighten with an unnamed emotion. She did not want him to die, she realized. She wanted him to live.

Kylo thudded his fist harshly against his abdomen again, ruby droplets from his wound spattering onto the ground. The sight of his blood on the white snow made Rey unbelievably nauseous, but she steeled her will as he ran at her and locked sabers once more. He was much weaker now, she could feel it through her recent connection to the Force, and it wasn't long before she pushed the tip of his blade into the ground, sizzling as it melted the surrounding snow. She summoned all of the strength she could muster and wrenched back her saber, swinging down and slicing at his face when he failed to block. Abashed at her own audacity, she used the Force to hurtle him across the clearing. His body soared through the air and landed with a heavy thud some distance from her.

As Kylo's back connected with the snow, his life flashed before his eyes, and for the first time, he was awash with agonizing regret. He would die here against the hands of this slight woman from Jakku, the only woman he had every truly desired, and that thought alone gave him a strange sense of peace.

The ground beneath them rumbled violently, and it brought them back to the reality outside of their fight. The planet they were on was collapsing rapidly, a rift beginning to open between them. Kylo's coal black eyes were filled with fear as he looked at her, and Rey had but moments to decide what to do. He could not fight her anymore; he had been defeated, but yet she could not bring herself to leave him to his doom. Not to mention Finn was lying injured on the other side.

She tensed her legs and jumped with all her might across the cracking surface, reaching Kylo just moments before the rift opened completely. Her feet hit the ground hard, and she stumbled next to his prone form, just barely preventing herself from tumbling forward. She did not know how she could help him for she perceived him too heavy to carry, and he could barely stand let alone walk. The planet beneath them started to crumble, but then a blinding light fell across them. She panted in relief, her warm breath coming out in puffs, as she saw Chewie at the helm of the Millennium Falcon. They were going to be saved!

The hatch to the ship fell open, and out came a very unlikely figure: a metallic female Stormtrooper. But instead of moving to blast them, she approached Finn's unconscious form and scooped him up, motioning for her to do the same with Kylo. She glanced down at him, noting he had passed out from the loss of blood. Whether it was from pure adrenaline or the miracle of the Force (perhaps both), she did not know, but she was able to lift Kylo's tall, muscular body and manage the short distance into the ship moments before the ground where she had been standing fell apart. The hatch to the ship closed abruptly as the planet began falling into itself. She only had a few seconds to place Kylo on the floor before Chewie roared at them to hang on and activated the hyperspace drive, hurtling them towards D'Qar.

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 **Author's Note:** I realize some of the positioning of their altercation was rearranged, but I did so for the purpose of this story. I have a very interesting theory about Rey myself, but Disney is probably going to make her and Kylo related somehow, so I'm probably going to Hell for writing this hahaha. Anyway, please review! Suggestions and comments about how I should proceed are definitely welcome, but I kind of already have an idea of where I'm going with the plot.

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	2. Chapter 2: Bittersweet Reunion

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 **Chapter Two: Bittersweet Reunion**

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When General Leia Organa heard the news that the Millennium Falcon was entering the base planet's atmosphere, she scurried as fast as her diminutive legs would carry her to the landing strip. She may not have been young anymore, but no one ever accused of her not still being limber, Force help them.

The general's face had crumpled when she felt her husband's life flicker out through their pair bond, but she had convinced herself that it wasn't possible. He was too resilient to die. Her Han was like mold that way: persistent (and also, if you asked her, sometimes distasteful). However, when the ship landed and the docking ramp lowered and she still didn't sense his presence, she knew it to be true: Han Solo was dead. What she didn't know was how.

After a beat, a lithe female figure appeared at the entrance, and Leia understood that the rescue mission to retrieve Rey had been successful. Her distressed hazel eyes caught the general's, and with great anguish, she propelled herself down the ramp and into Leia's waiting arms. They were so wrapped up the in the moment that they paid no attention to the excited commotion going on around them.

' _ **Han is dead, I'm so sorry,**_ ' Rey spoke to her and only her with her thoughts. Force bless her and this small kindness. She preferred to keep this private. As a general, she could not break. As a leader, she must be a pillar of strength, but damn did the universe make it hard for her to keep it together.

' _ **I know,'**_ Leia swallowed heavily, afraid of the truth. _**'Who killed him?'**_

Rey pulled back, her lips drawn tautly downwards. _**'Your son.'**_

' _ **I didn't want to believe it, but I figured as much. I sent my own damn husband on a fool's mission…We finally lost him, then. I lost them both.'**_ Leia's eyes filled with bitter tears.

Rey gasped in urgency at that. _**'Not exactly…Your son is in the Falcon, but severely wounded. He lost a lot of blood, though. He needs immediate medical attention.'**_

' _ **How?!'**_

' _ **I'll explain later, right now he needs-'**_

Rey's thought projection was cut off by an exclamation from Poe. "Quick, Finn and another man are injured! They need help, get the medics!"

Apparently, while they were distracted, Poe had rushed up into the ship to find Finn, and he succeeded in finding him…just not in the condition he had hoped. Thankfully, Rey had the forethought of telling the Stormtrooper – Phasma, she said her name was – to strip off her gear and hide it as she did the same, gingerly, with Kylo Ren's. The less questions the better when they arrived, as both Finn and Kylo were running out of time. She tore off the hem of Kylo's cloak and ripped in deftly in two, using one strip to wind around his abdominal wound and another to go over the cut on his brow. She had just finished tying the final knot right before they began their descent.

A small medic team rushed efficiently to the scene and placed Finn and Kylo's unconscious forms onto stretchers, whisking them away into the facility towards the medical bay.

General Organa turned to Rey with more questions in her eyes than answers, but was soon interrupted by Chewie as he descended from the vessel. He was usually so boisterous, but not even the massive Wookie could muster up anything but sad whimpers as he approached her. He hugged her small form to him gently, and her wet eyes dampened his fur.

Rey, thanking the stars for the opportunity, escaped towards the medical bay, her anxiety propelling her through her exhaustion.

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In the chaos ensuing all around her, Phasma found it quite easy to slink out of the Falcon unnoticed – or so she thought. A certain pair of chocolate brown eyes followed her willowy form as she exited the ship and headed towards a back door into the base. Poe, thinking quickly, hurried after her as stealthily as he could, following a few paces behind. It was a little difficult to keep up at first with her fast stride and long legs, but, if he were honest – which he always was, candidly – he really enjoyed the view from behind. Soon they came into the empty mess hall, and he jumped directly in front of her path, blocking her progress.

The only sign that she was startled was a slightly imperceptible widening of her eyes – a nice green, he noticed, like the forest. He was rather poetic when he wanted to be, naturally. She wasn't half bad from the front either, he thought. With her heart-shaped face and light-blonde hair, he could almost call her beautiful. That is, if he did those sorts of things, which he definitely didn't.

"Hello, gorgeous. Where do you think you're going?" _Okay_ , maybe sometimes he did.

She rolled her eyes skyward, long fingers drumming on her hip as she leaned to one side.

"Away from you, clearly." She moved to get around him, but he was quicker – and a touch more eager – and effectively impeded her once more.

He tutted audibly. "Maybe I started off on the wrong foot. I'm Poe, Poe Dameron. You may have heard of me? I'm kind of a big deal around here."

Phasma turned her flaxen head skywards, as if praying for strength. He was determined; she would concede with that, at least. Handsome too, but a pretty male face was not uncommon amongst an order comprised mostly of virile men. Not to mention, he was a head shorter than her, but that was not uncommon either. She was much taller than the average human female.

"I am sure it will please you to know that I have heard of you, Dameron, as you were held prisoner on the vessel where I previously served. As to your talents, I have heard only that you are a pilot for the Resistance," she spat acerbically, but then took a startled step back.

She just blew her cover, all because this _Poe_ got under her skin so easily. She was trained better than that! However, whether he was too distracted – or perhaps an imbecile, she thought idly – he bypassed her slip-up completely.

"So you _have_ heard of me! I'm actually the best pilot we have currently. Pretty damn good flyer, if I say so myself - wait, did you say you _served_ where I was held captive? You're with the First Order?!" He pointed at her accusingly, eyes narrowing almost comically. She would laugh if she did not have her sense of humor almost beaten out of her as a child.

"Shut up, you _idiot_!" She hissed at him, bringing her commanding voice to a near whisper. "Not anymore. I am currently attempting to remain incognito – an attempt, by the way, you are making extremely difficult."

"Oh," Poe deflated almost immediately, but brightened back up a little as a thought occurred to him. "Well, you probably have some sort of code name like Finn, right? I gave you _my_ name, so it's only fair that you do the same."

Phasma's eyes closed in defeat, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. The man was so expressive it was giving her a headache.

"The First Order dubbed me Phasma. I am a highly ranked, Stormtrooper captain. You may have heard of me?" For some reason, she could not resist the witty jab.

"You're Captain Phasma?" Poe looked sincerely shocked. "I thought you'd be way more hideous."

Phasma's eyebrows lowered dangerously. He was quick to make amends, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

"N-Not that you're _ugly_ or anything! Quite the opposite, actually, but that's not what I was trying to say at all." He looked at her then, sheepish, right arm rubbing the back of his head. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's hard to tell what a lady looks like beneath all that chrome armor."

She reddened unwillingly then, silently scolding herself for her reaction. He did not mean to make a reference to intercourse. He is just a blubbering wampa-brain, she assured herself, however unsuccessfully.

Realizing his blunder, Poe gracefully bowed out. "I didn't mean that either. Sheesh, I'm not usually this awkward, I promise. You're probably tired and hungry. I can get you something to eat and show you to some temporary quarters, if you'd like."

"I would very much appreciate some sustenance. I am quite famished."

"Geez, lady, do you always talk like that?"

"Talk like what, exactly?" She gestured haughtily with her right hand. He liked her hands, he mused. But those were thoughts for another time.

He raised his own calloused hands defensively. He knew what battles he could win, and what ones he couldn't. "Never mind, this way!"

He motioned for her to follow after him into the food storage room. She did so assuredly. He rummaged through the supplies for a few moments before coming across an energy bar and some dehydrated starfruit slices.

"I hope this will do. Dunno when or if we'll be having dinner tonight, what with all the craziness going on. It's usually in this hall if we do."

"Right, thank you," she replied curtly, snatching them from his hands quickly so as not to touch him. She did not like to be touched. Poe noticed her abruptness, but remained blissfully silent on the matter.

"I can grab you a canteen and show you where to get water, too. Obviously you'd also be thirsty."

She said nothing, merely nodded at him as he made his way to a sink faucet in the kitchens and grabbed a canteen out of the cupboard. He filled it up slowly so as not to waste the water, and she made note of his sensibility. Maybe he was not entirely a wampa-brain.

"Here, this is for you," He pushed the canteen into her body insistently, his rough hands enveloping hers around the cool metal for a brief moment.

Both of them felt the spark almost immediately, but only Phasma reacted. Her face reddened once again. A sizable drawback to having a fair complexion, to be sure. Always wearing a helmet outside of her quarters had prevented others from noticing her very unfortunate involuntary habit. Now, though, she had no such protection, especially against his searching brown eyes. She felt almost naked under his gaze, a feeling she was not entirely sure she disliked.

"Thank you, Poe. You have been most helpful." He withdrew his hands, not seeming to pay much attention to her minor distress. He _really_ liked the way she said his name in her authoritative tone, he mused wistfully, shaking his head.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go get us a room!" Poe exclaimed with a smidge too much enthusiasm.

She blushed, if possible, an even deeper red, trying to hide her face by looking away.

"Damnit, not again!"

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 **Author's Note:** So, the site is being a bloop and won't let me reply to any of my reviews. I was also only able to see a few of them (some of the e-mail notifications would not let me view the summary of the review, either). I did some investigating and found that this is a site-wide issue, so please, nobody think that I don't care about your feedback! I totally do! I'll try to reply to the ones I received with PMs, if I can.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, TA DA! I'm assuming you guessed the other pairing, the pairing you didn't know you needed. If you want, I can tell you the inpso for it hahah, it's quite silly. Some drama next chapter, so I figured a light-hearted one (sort of) would be welcome. TTFN!

YET ANOTHER NOTE, for those who follow this story, sorry for the multiple reposts of this chapter. My friends are helping Beta-read for me and had some minor suggestions !

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	3. Chapter 3: How It Began

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 ** _Chapter Three: How It Began_**

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 _He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him into a vast throng of green trees, glancing frantically back over his shoulder to see if anyone had followed._

 _Three older human boys were gaining on him, and he began to panic, searching left and right for a place to hide. He found a tight crevice between two large boulders that had crashed together to form a cramped space and squeezed himself in, his shaking fingers brushing the ground as he crouched. The coolness of the dirt calmed him somewhat, and his breath slowed to a more regular tempo. He waited a few moments before he heard other footsteps pounding nearby, and he didn't have to wait much longer before he could see them from his hiding place._

' _Where did monkey-lizard go?' The eldest taunted, his smile relatively menacing for such a young boy._

' _I dunno, Seras, but I definitely saw him run this way." The smaller blonde one shrugged his shoulders in confusion._

' _Maybe he climbed a tree just like his namesake!' Seras declared jauntily, and they all cackled in unison at that, drawing a whimper from their barely concealed prey._

 _Seras' cold blue eyes immediately snapped to where he was hiding, and the small target quickly backed up as far as he could into the rocky enclosure to ensconce himself in darkness._

' _Come out, you coward! I see you in there. Or are you too afraid of us, little Kowakian?'_

 _The boys all laughed at him again, and his fear started to fade, replacing itself with a growing rage._

' _He's such a loser!'_

 _'Yeah!'_

 _The jeering increased._

 _His rage grew larger still, and as he was the only one small enough to fit through the crack, he become emboldened by his protected position. He contemplated what it would be like if he was older and stronger, what he would do to Seras and the others if he could actually fight back. He remembered all the times they mocked him, every time they would beat him up in the hidden corners of the market square, and he became so furious that the air around him started to vibrate with power. He imagined his hand around Seras' throat, clenching it into a tight fist just as he would squeeze._

 _Suddenly, Seras began to choke, his eyes going fearfully wide, hands clawing at his neck to try and relieve the building pressure._

 _The blonde boy stumbled back, terrified. 'What's going on?! Are you okay?!'_

' _Seras, snap out of it!' The youngest of them pounded on his back to expel the invisible something or other that was impeding his airway._

 _Seras could do nothing but point at his attacker smirking through the crevice, his face taking on a purplish hue from the lack of oxygen._

' _Is he doing this to you? Stop it, Ben! Please, whatever you're doing, you're hurting him!' The youngest cried, slipping to Ben's real name instead of the horrid nickname they gave him._

' _I'm hurting him, Tom?!' Ben shouted, voice coated in malice. 'What about all the times he hurt me?!'_

' _Look, we're sorry about that, okay? We won't do it again! Just let him go!' Tom pleaded, tears now streaming down his face. 'Keran, go get help!'_

 _The blonde boy in reference hesitated for a brief instance, but then jolted away in the direction of the town. Ben watched him go, his anger evaporating immediately, the red clearing out of his eyes. They were going to tell his mother. He didn't want to get in trouble. He unclenched his fist, and Seras' body fell to the ground unconscious. Tom scurried over to him, bending down and checking for a pulse._

' _Thank the Force, he's alive!' Tom exclaimed, relieved. Seras' heartbeat was still there, but faint._

 _It wasn't long before two pairs of footsteps approached again, one of them more forceful and obviously belonging to a larger person. Suddenly, a woman's face appeared in front of Ben's near the opening, effectively startling him. Her hair was severely parted down the middle and pulled to the sides into two brown buns over her ears, her pretty features taut with fury._

' _Ben Solo, what have you done?!'_

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Kylo Ren jolted up and awake with a start, his mother's voice still resounding in his skull. He instantly clutched at his head in agony. When the pain ebbed somewhat, he glanced about the room. He didn't recognize any of his surroundings. The red metal walls, the beeping medical equipment, the sparse greenery he could see through the porthole...He recalled none of it. He looked down and noticed an IV in his arm. He ripped it out unceremoniously, not even flinching. He had been through much worse, he thought as a trickle of blood dripped down his forearm.

That particular memory was one he did not like to relive. It was the first manifestation of his Force abilities, but also his last time on Takodana – that is, until his search for the BB unit led him there once more. Leia had contacted Skywalker shortly after, begging him to take her son away, to train him at the Jedi Academy. She feared his dark side potential, and rightly so. After he left the next day, he never saw his mother again. He grimaced. He hadn't dreamed about his childhood in a long time, not since he became an official apprentice to Snoke. He wondered briefly if Snoke had suppressed or manipulated his sleeping thoughts. He probably did, and that realization disturbed him more than he cared to admit. He wasn't sure if the thought of not knowing where he was disturbed him more than that or not.

After a few seconds of debate, he got up out of his hospital bed and then almost fell back down into it. His legs were weak and unused to standing. He must have been asleep for a fair amount of time. The last memory he could dredge up was fuzzy. He remembered the freezing cold seeping into his skin. He was lying in the snow on Starkiller Base. A worried face leaned over his, a beautiful face. Rey's face, and then a blinding light. Rey must have brought him to a Resistance base, but why? To be used as a pawn? He shook his head. No, truth be told, Snoke didn't care for his well-being at all. He was a means to an end and would not be bargained for. They would get nowhere with that tactic. He supposed he had some intel he could share, not that it would make much of a difference. He usually operated under his own agenda in the First Order.

He pulled his sleeve down over his bloodied arm, gazing down at his attire in dismay. His preferred black clothing had been exchanged for tan scrubs. Not that he could really wear his black tunic again anyway as it had a hole burnt into it from a bowcaster. Still, it would have been preferable to have some sort of familiarity in this foreign, sterile place. No matter. He didn't know what they had done with his effects, but he would get them back and then escape. They were foolish if they thought any of them would be powerful enough to hold him there. He walked to the door at the front of the room, noticing it was locked from the outside with an electronic mechanism. He held up his hand letting the Force flow through him, and the door swished open. He exited and followed the hallway determinedly to the right.

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…

Rey sighed, running a hand over her mussed brown hair. She had just gotten out of a meeting with General Organa and was ostensibly exhausted. Thankfully, after an hour of intense discussion – and admittedly some shouting – it had ended on an agreeable note. Rey had not seen her for two days after her initial arrival. The general had claimed to have been indisposed, but Rey knew she was mourning in her quarters. She couldn't blame her for that as she too had cared for Han, even after only knowing him for such a short time. The love General Organa had for her husband ran deeper than the wells on Jakku.

The general had agreed to let her son remain at the base if he was not hostile when he awoke. She did not have the confidence that even her presence would sway him, however, for he had killed his own father in cold blood. She knew that, if he wanted to, he could easily kill them all. She reminded Rey of her foolishness for bringing him here, but then agreed in the end that it was she who had wished for him to come back. Whatever it takes, she had told Han. Sometimes you had to be careful what you wished for. Wishing was tricky like that; it never worked out like you expected it to. Everything came with a price, but some prices you might not be willing to pay.

Rey was lost in her thoughts and did not look up as she rounded a corner, her obliviousness awarding her with a collision into a very solid chest. She put her hands on the warm torso in front of her to steady herself and backed a step away. She looked up, an apology hovering in her mouth, but it got stuck on her tongue as soon as she saw who it was she collided with: the very man of her thoughts, Kylo Ren.

"Hello, Rey," he said with such cavalier self-assurance that she almost forgot how susceptible he looked lying unconscious in the snow. Almost.

"I was just coming to check on you," she recovered quickly, stepping further away from him and grasping nervously at the hem of her shirt.

It was only a partial lie. She had actually been headed to her quarters to read, but she had planned on checking in on him after that. Well, after she sat with Finn for awhile. He still hadn't shown any signs of waking up, and it worried her greatly.

He raised one dark eyebrow at her, his voice haughty, "Oh really? Well, as you can plainly see, I am alive and well. Now, I have some questions for you, and you will answer them."

Most people would phrase that as a request, but Kylo Ren was not most people. It was a direct order. Her hackles raised a bit, but she pacified herself. Of course he would have questions. He was in a place he did not know.

"Yes, I imagine so. Will you follow me out back so we can discuss this privately? I'd rather not talk out in the open like this." She gestured to the hallway. "People walk through here frequently, and your identity has not yet been revealed. I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible for obvious reasons."

"As you wish." Kylo did not know why he conceded to her request so easily.

Usually he took the things he wanted violently and without hesitation, but Rey's presence calmed him in a way he could not explain. He felt almost balanced. However, he mused, he would still get his way...in time.

Rey started to walk briskly away in the other direction, and he followed her quick gate quite easily with his long legs. For the first time, he took note of how much taller he was than her. She was more than a head shorter than him, and for some reason that pleased him.

They wove in and out of a few hallways, passing curious orderlies and civilians, before coming to the exit. Rey entered a passcode into the key pad to its right, and the door swooshed open. She looked around her for any passersby. There were none, so she motioned for him to come through. He did so and followed her to a grassy spot in the distance where they sat down.

Rey wasted no time in getting into it, her tone strictly business. "Look, I had no choice. You were dying, and I had to make a decision. I'm sorry I brought you here, mostly for the sake of endangering the residents of the base, but also partly for forcing your hand. I know you don't want to be here."

She glanced over at him, and his dark eyes were burning with such an intensity that it stole her breath.

"You had a choice, Rey. You could have left me to die, but you didn't. Why?"

"I couldn't. I-You…Your mother wanted you back. I couldn't be the one responsible for letting you die, even if you are a murderer," she spoke just a little too quickly, and she sensed that he didn't believe her.

"I know you are lying. I can feel it through the Force. I could just take what I need from you against your will, but I am feeling unusually generous. You have one chance to explain yourself without any dishonesty. Do you think you can do that?" His deep voice was laced with a thinly veiled threat.

She shuddered. Swallowing, she pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear, noting that Kylo watched her every movement closely with narrowed eyes.

"I honestly don't know. When your eyes met mine amidst the planet collapsing, they were full of fear. Fear of death, possibly fear of what I would do, I don't know. Your father came into my mind, his eyes still full of love even after you stabbed him. Even as he fell, he loved you. I figured, if he could still love you even after that, then you must be worth saving." As she finished, she looked away from him, fearful of his response.

For a while he said nothing, and the two of them looked at anything but at the other.

Finally, he spoke, "I do not want to be saved, nor do I need to be. But I also realize now that I cannot return to the First Order."

Rey looked shocked. "Why not?"

"Because," he said without any hesitation or apparent empathy. "Then I would have to kill you."

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Author's Note: Some minor character development in this chapter. A little too serious for my liking, but it just didn't feel right to put any undue humor in it. Hope you enjoyed! Thank you all for your favorites/follows/reviews! :D

[P.S. Sorry for the revision again! There were a few things I didn't notice last night before I published; I usually am in bed pretty early because my job is exhausting. I am in need of a reliable Beta-reader, so...if anyone feels up to the challenge, please let me know!]

***a Kowakian monkey-lizard is a creature from the planet Kowak. They have big ears and large noses.

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	4. Chapter 4: Lost and Found

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 **Chapter Four: Lost and Found**

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Rey had very little time to sit there with her mouth slightly agape before Poe came running up to them, arms gesturing wildly.

"Rey, R2 is awake! General Organa wants you in the control room pronto!" He relayed urgently, bent over and slightly out of breath.

Rey scrambled up from the ground in a hurry, brushing the grass frantically off of her iridescent blue tunic. She wasn't used to owning such nice clothes; she didn't know how to treat them.

"Certainly, I'll just…" She looked to her left, trailing off as she realized Kylo had somehow managed to sneak away unannounced.

"You'll just…what?" Poe asked slightly confused, his head tilted charmingly to one side.

She laughed nervously at that and motioned back to the base, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Nothing, never mind. Take me to the general."

"Sure thing, boss!" Poe exclaimed. "Follow me!"

Rey shook her head as she trailed behind him, a smile coming unbidden to her face. He certainly was something else.

…

* * *

…

Kylo had hastened his retreat as soon as she focused on Poe, heading straight towards the Millennium Falcon docked on the landing strip, purpose marking his gait. He had no intention of stealing the ship, but he could feel the Force signature of his weapon pulsing from the inside.

He approached the ramp cautiously, sending out tendrils of his power to check for any organic lifeforms onboard. He found none. Satisfied, he entered.

He walked around a bit, ample lip curling up in disgust as he took in the scene before him. He had been on the Falcon once before when he was much younger, barely old enough to read. He wasn't surprised to find that nothing much had changed, even after all this time. It was still the piece of Gungan shit he remembered, if not a little bit more worse for wear.

The energy of his weapon flared suddenly when he came across a sealed compartment. He made a violent swiping motion with his hand, and the lid came free and went sailing to the right, clanging as it skidded across the floor. He peered inside: his lightsaber, belt, and cloak - complete with torn hemline - were all there. He frowned, annoyed as he searched further down, only to come up empty-handed. His helmet and tunic were not in the compartment. He didn't have time to dally, however, so he strapped on the belt and secured his lightsaber hilt onto it, donning the heavy cloak with a flourish.

He exited the ship briskly, heading in the direction of one of the Starfighters parked away from the rest. He pressed a few buttons on the side, and the roof of the cockpit hissed open. He climbed inside, yanking his cloak in around him. He pulled a lever to his right, and the roof closed, sealing him inside. As a dark side Force-user, he had never flown one of these before, but he had poured over the schematics on his holoreader a few years back and understood the basics.

On the seat behind him he located a tan vest with the air hose and mask attached and put it on. He felt around a bit on the floor and found the helmet, a scowl marring his handsome features as he registered the Resistance symbol on the front. If he didn't value his life at least moderately, he would rather die than wear something so despicable. Annoyance flaring once more, he pushed the helmet down over his curls and secured himself in the harness. Once situated, he stared at the controls before him, slightly bewildered. He had to make this work, he thought. It would be his only chance to escape in the most painless way possible…for all involved.

Sensing people approaching the landing strip, he toggled the levers and pressed a few buttons in what he hoped was the proper starting sequence. He was rewarded with the whirring of the ship powering on. As the wings opened out into their usual 'X' pattern, he released a cache underneath the dash and yanked back the steering handles, awkwardly launching the vessel upwards and into the sky just moments before those approaching would be in eyesight.

The Starfighter soared up and up through the clouds until it reached the blackness of space. Kylo Ren smiled darkly at the welcoming sight of it. He had always felt most at home when gazing long into the emptiness of the abyss, though this was the first time that he asked himself why that was. Disturbed by the direction of his thoughts, he slammed on the hyperspace drive, the jarring momentum of it plastering him back into the seat. It wouldn't be long before he reached his destination: a place, though bittersweet, he could safely regroup.

…

* * *

...

Rey stumbled into the control room with Poe just as BB-8 was inserting the missing piece into R2-D2's projected map. All present stood in awe of its glowing magnitude. Soon the gathered crowd began to converse excitedly amongst themselves.

"It's finally complete," Leia whispered, greatly relieved. After a beat, she turned to the entrance where Rey was standing and approached her. "Rey, I have a mission for you. I need you to use these coordinates to retrieve my idiot brother."

Rey nodded determinedly, not even blinking at the insult to Luke's person, and watched intently as R2 deactivated the now intact map and rolled towards where they were standing.

"When do you want me to depart?"

The general's lip quirked into a smile. "I want you, R2, and Chewie to leave as soon as possible. Luke has been away for far too long. We need him here."

"We can leave today." Rey looked intently at Leia as if to convey urgency with her eyes. _**'But first, there is something you must know. Your son is awake. We were having a discussion, but he disappeared when Poe came to fetch me. His Force signature is distant and fading rapidly. I think he found a way off of the planet.'**_

Leia's heart sunk, her jaw tightening. _ **'I'd hoped he would stay, at least to make amends. I haven't forgiven him yet, and I don't know if I ever will. But I hurt him, Rey. I was the one that sent him away as a boy. He was so young, no more than nine. I abandoned him when he needed me most, because I was afraid. I was the catalyst for all of this.'**_

' _ **Don't blame yourself, General. He is grown man capable of making his own choices.'**_

That was all the comfort Rey could offer. After that, she could do nothing more than lower her eyes dejectedly to the floor. She didn't know what the proper response should be, but she wished she did. She didn't even know her own parents, let alone could she be considered capable of imparting parental advice. It seemed as though Leia loved her son dearly despite all of his grievous misgivings, and she felt a prick of envy at their relationship despite its apparent strain. All she could recall of her past before Jakku was the frightening vision Luke's lightsaber had given her…and a man's voice she did not recognize.

' _ **Rey…these are your first steps.'**_

The words replayed themselves in her mind again, and her aura wavered anxiously. She didn't know the identity of the man who spoke to her, but she did know he was extremely well-versed in the usage of the Force. The mark of his Force signature glowed brightly, though distantly, in her mind's eye.

"Rey, are you still with me?" Leia looked mildly concerned. R2 beeped out a similar question.

"Yes, sorry, I'm fine. I got lost in my thoughts," she said with a self-deprecating smile.

"Alright then. I'll find Chewie and tell him to meet you two at the Falcon."

"Roger that, General."

…

* * *

…

It was less than an hour later that Rey, R2, and Chewie found themselves aboard the Millennium Falcon, soaring through space towards an obscure planet called 'Ahch-to.' Rey had never heard of it before, and she had done nothing but read in her free time at night in her salvaged AT-AT lodgings. As dingy and painfully lonely as it had been, she missed her old place and all of her things, especially her patchy holoreader she had scrapped for and pieced together herself. She missed the way the odd rainfall would make the cabin smell cool and wet, the way it would enhance the smell of the iron in the casings and twinge her nose. Rain was like a miracle on Jakku; everyone celebrated and opened their hatches to collect the falling liquid gems. Water was currency on a desert planet, as it was such a rarity. Even in all her misery, every small happiness was treasured.

It was with almost laughable coincidence that they broke through the atmosphere of a planet that seemed to consist of nothing else but water. They plunged down to the sea level and glided near the surface, waves rippling in their wake. Soon, R2 beeped excitedly that they were closing in on their destination, and a small island came into view. They parked the Falcon on a small plot of flat land at the bottom of what appeared to be ancient ruins. Chewie rumbled that she should go on ahead and explore. Luke had to be somewhere on the island.

Rey shouldered on her long staff and pack and jogged down the ship ramp onto the thick, damp grass. No matter how many times her feet came in contact with green, she didn't think she would ever grow used to it. She put her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun's glare off of the ocean. In the distance she spotted a winding set of what appeared to be stairs and began to climb.

Her feet tread nimbly on the broken cobblestones as she hopped from one stair to the next and to the next. She climbed for a long while past old archways and gaping entrances to what appeared to be abandoned temples before coming across a clearing near the top. A Force signature flared and then blinked out just as suddenly. Luke was trying to alert her to his presence. Rey turned around the corner of a boulder sharply and gasped as she spotted a robed figure facing away from her. As she approached, he turned to her and lowered his hood. She could see his sister in his face. With trembling fingers, she took his lightsaber out of her satchel and held it out to him.

"This is yours, Luke Skywalker. Maz Kanata was keeping it for you on Takodana. I was sent here by your sister to bring you to the Resistance base on D'Qar," she spoke assuredly with confidence she did not feel.

He reached out and took the saber from her, weighing it in his palms before putting it in one of his deep pockets. When he looked up, he gazed at her for a long while, seeming to take in her face, especially her eyes.

"I know that face, those eyes. You are the spitting image of your mother, Rey," Luke replied with a voice hoarse from disuse.

"Wait, how do you know my name? You knew my mother? How, when?" Rey asked frantically, her head filling up with so many questions her brain practically throbbed.

Luke nodded sagely. "And your grandfather before her. There is a lot that I know that you will wish to know. All that will be revealed in time. Now, however, I think it is time that I pay my dear sister a long-awaited visit."

He walked past her briskly heading towards the stairs, his cloak billowing out behind him, leaving Rey speechless and with no choice but to follow.

…

* * *

…

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the brief delay. Possible lime in next chapter though, so beware those of you that don't like those sorts of things. Hope it was worth the wait. :) As always, thanks a bunch for all of the reviews/favorites/follows! You guys are swell!

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